The field of art to which this invention pertains is the production of a volatile organic stream from an organic stream containing a non-distillable component. More specifically, the invention relates to a process for treating an organic stream containing a non-distillable component to produce an organic vapor stream and a solid which process comprises the steps of: (a) contacting the organic stream containing a non-distillable component with a hydrogen-rich gaseous stream having a temperature greater than the organic stream in a flash zone at flash conditions thereby increasing the temperature of the organic stream and vaporizing at least a portion thereof to produce an organic vapor stream comprising hydrogen and a heavy stream comprising the non-distillable component; and (b) reacting at least a portion of the heavy stream comprising the non-distillable component in the presence of hydrogen in a pyrolysis zone to produce a thermally stabilized volatile organic stream comprising hydrogen and a solid.
There is a steadily increasing demand for technology which is capable of treating an organic stream containing a non-distillable component to produce a volatile organic stream and a solid having a low level of organic contaminants.
With the increased environmental emphasis for the treatment and recycle of organic waste streams containing a non-distillable component there is an increased need for improved processes to separate the non-distillable component from an organic vapor stream and then convert the non-distillable component to a solid which may be responsibly utilized. For example, during the disposal or recycle of potentially environmentally harmful organic waste streams, an important step in the total solution to the problem is to produce an organic vapor stream which facilitates the ultimate resolution to produce product streams which may subsequently be handled in an environmentally acceptable manner. One environmentally attractive method of treating organic waste streams is by hydrogenation. Therefore, those skilled in the art have sought to find feasible techniques to remove heavy non-distillable components from an organic stream to produce an organic vapor stream which may then be hydrogenated and to provide a solid possessing a low level of organic contaminants.
The presence of a non-distillable component including finely divided particulate matter in an organic feed to a hydrogenation zone greatly increases the difficulty of the hydrogenation. A non-distillable component tends (1) to foul the hot heat exchange surfaces which are used to heat the feed to hydrogenation conditions, (2) to form coke or in some other manner deactivate the hydrogenation catalyst thereby shortening its active life and (3) to otherwise hinder a smooth and facile hydrogenation operation. Particulate matter in a feed stream tends to deposit within the hydrogenation zone and to plug a fixed hydrogenation catalyst bed thereby abbreviating the time on stream.